A Look At Ernst Ludwig Kirchner

One of our latest puzzles is the vibrant landscape Sertigtal, painted by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner.

Although he isn’t as well-known as Van Gogh, Kirchner’s pieces spoke to many during a chaotic and dangerous time.

Kirchner was an German Expressionist painter who co-founded the influential artists' group "Die Brücke" (The Bridge) in Dresden in 1905.

Die Brücke wanted to move away from traditional academic art and embrace a more avant-garde and emotionally charged style. Ernst Ludwig Kirchner's bold and bright paintings featuring distorted figures captured a pre-World War I Germany and reflected the psychological impact of the modernizing world with all its fast and furious changes like electricity. 

This era of Kirchner's art faced criticism by the Nazi’s and was included in the infamous Degenerate Art exhibition in 1937. During this time more than 630 of his works were burned or destroyed by the Nazi regime.

Grappling with health issues and the psychological aftermath of the war, Kirchner moved to Switzerland, and started painting more mountain landscapes.

Kirchner's later years marked a return to a more colorful palette (that for a while he abandoned during his mental health struggles) and nature-focused works inspired by the gorgeous vistas of Switzerland.

Sertigtal shares its location in the Sertigtal Valley in Switzerland with the town of Davos, the renowned meeting place of many of the world's influential figures.

While Davos is recognized for hosting global economic forums, Sertigtal, with its unspoiled beauty, served as a retreat for Kirchner for the second half of his life. 

Kirchner created nearly 30,000 artworks throughout his life.

Whether they featured urban scenes, simple sketches, or calming landscapes, Kirchner shaped German Expressionism and his influence can still be seen today.

Our Kirchner Sertigtal puzzle is rather a steep mountain of a puzzle: with 626 split tendril connector pieces, it is big, bold, beautiful, and challenging! We highly recommend you try an easier or smaller of our split tendril connector puzzles before attempting the peaks of Sertigtal!